The Good: GREAT scent, Versatility, Success at cleaning all over
The Bad: PRICE!
The Basics: With a wonderful, enduring and specific aroma, Cinnamon Bun Heaven gets the user clean, smelling great and energized in a way that overcomes its steep price.
When I encounted Cinnamon Bun Heaven 3-in-1, I found myself thinking of Popcorn Heaven. Popcorn Heaven was a small, local shop I used to frequent as a young adult that I loved because of its eclectic collection of a multitude of flavors of popcorn. My favorite was always "Blueberry Muffin" in their sweet line. The very first time I tasted a kernel of blueberry muffin popcorn, I was blown away because the taste was so precise. The carmelization was not blueberry flavored, it was not blueberry pancake, it was the exact definition of the taste of a blueberry muffin. I mention this because I was overcome with a similar sensation when trying Cinnamon Bun Heaven 3-In-1 from Bath and Body Work's.
Right off the bat, Cinnamon Bun Heaven is perfectly named as its scent is precisely the aroma of a cinnamon bun bakery at 5 AM, before the coffee is brewing. The scent is not cinnamon, it is cinnamon bun, infusing the scent of cinnamon with the sugary aroma of icing. Anyone who has ever had a wonderful experience in a bakery or bistro that was dominated by cinnamon buns is bound to have a wonderful reaction to the aroma of this product. The response with me was very visceral; in the store when I opened the cap, I began to salivate.
Which leads me to this specific product. I have long suspected there is little chemical difference between shampoo, body wash and bubble bath and this 3-in-1 product seems to confirm that. It is a body wash, a shampoo and a bubble bath all in one. Bath and Body Works charges $12 for a 16 oz. bottle of the product, at least when I bought it. The question is, is the product worth it?
I'll admit Cinnamon Bun Heaven had me at the scent. The scent is so compelling and real that it astonished me and made me feel . . . energized. Honestly, the quality of the scent brought back mornings where I was on the run, grabbing a fresh-baked cinnamon bun and rushing off to work or school. That alone was enough to get me to buy it (though that's uncharacteristic of me!).
Now that I have it and have used it in its various forms, how does it work?
As a shampoo, Cinnamon Bun Heaven was a treat to work with. Despite the bulky shape of the bottle (I've used it for over a week now and I've dropped the bottle twice), the cap is a simple hinge spout that makes getting the product out very easy and getting the bottle closed equally easy. Not having to screw the cap on or off means it's easy to simply open and close with one hand while depositing a quantity into the other hand before putting it in your hair.
I have rather long hair and I found I had to use a whole palmful of the Cinnamon Bun Heaven in order to get it to lather through all of my hair. Because there is only sixteen ounces in the bottle, the speed at which I went through the product at the first few days alarmed me some. I discovered that I could get away with using a little less than a palmful of the Cinnamon Bun Heaven and diluting it a little in my palm before applying it to my hair and it stretched a little father (hey, why not get the most out of it!?).
As a shampoo, Cinnamon Bun Heaven cleaned my hair wonderfully with no residue. I have dry hair and the product did not dry it out more, nor leave a greasy residue. The result was very clean hair that smelled like cinnamon buns! As well, the product did not dry out my scalp. Sorry, readers, I've no idea how it affects the eyes and I'm not dumping any in there to find out! :) I will say that it is not pleasant to taste, so if you're worried about having this product around children, I doubt it would be a problem very long!
One of the nice effects of the Cinnamon Bun Heaven as a shampoo that I noticed right away was that the scent lasts. Even after the first shampooing with this product, the scent permeated my hair and remained there. The scent endured without significant fading for one normal day. What I mean by that is that if you rinse your hair and dry it normally, the scent will remain in your hair throughout the day. At night, I sometimes smell my hair and catch a wonderful whiff of cinnamon bun. This is great when I'm feeling low-energy and want to perk up, bad when I'm already feeling hungry!
Cinnamon Bun Heaven's scent does not withstand exercise that involves perspiring, but then, why wouldn't you wash your hair after that kind of exercise? I've also noticed that after three or four days of washing my hair with this, even after an active day, my pillowcases began to carry hints of the scent. I'm not sure how or why that happens (there are no stains or anything like that!) but what I am saying is that Cinnamon Bun Heaven as a shampoo is a commitment to the scent, at least while the bottle endures.
As a body wash, Cinnamon Bun Heaven is wonderful and possibly the best value from this product. I use a very discreet dollop of this 3-in-one when I am using it as a body wash. I'm rather tall and my "discreet dollop" is about the diameter of the hole in a compact disc (honestly, who measures these things precisely while showering?! :) ). Applied to a washcloth, lufa or latex pouf, it lathered up quickly with such a small quantity.
As a body wash, it worked very well, not drying out my skin at all. It appears to have gotten me clean and I noticed no adverse effects. After a week of using it as a body wash, I'm satisfied that it is getting me clean, not reacting to my skin (I do not have sensitive skin), and not causing any problems. I was cut on my palm the other day and this was mild enough that it did not bother my wound.
The scent of cinnamon buns dissipated from my skin within an hour under normal conditions - how much less I do not know. No other odors took its place, so I'd say it was quite effective as a body wash.
As a bubble bath, it was wonderful, scenting the entire bathroom and upstairs of my house with the scent of cinnamon buns! The suds that the 3-in-1 created as a bath were wonderful and ample, despite my using only one capful of the product in my bath (the directions recommend two to three). As before, there were no adverse skin reactions, but marinating in my tub for an hour with this did leave the scent on me for an entire evening.
In short, Cinnamon Bun Heaven is a wonderful product so long as you love the scent and want to walk through the world committed to the scent for the duration of use of the product. I've no problem with people thinking I might have hung out for a day in a bakery, so it fits me just fine!
As this is my first review of such a product, I've decided that ultimately my standard by which I will recommend or not recommend a product in this field will be based on value. Honestly, some of these products are ridiculously expensive and for $12, I know I can get 16 oz. (or more) of a shampoo, a bubble bath AND a body wash. The thing is, this Temptations product from Bath and Body Works has the advantage in the scent. The precision of the scent and the quality of the product imbibe it with a value that cannot be found (yet) in a less expensive alternative.
And, truth be told, if the trend continues and the company designs a four in one (yeah, I'd love it if this conditioned my hair, too!), that is Cinnamon Bun Heaven, the value would increase again (as long as the price did not). As it is, this is a fabulous product and perhaps once a year I will indulge myself in a $12 bottle of this 3-in-1 to enjoy its many benefits!
[As a footnote, Bath and Body Works had another scented 3-in-1 in the same line that was the identical color; be sure you pick up Cinnamon Bun Heaven and not whatever that other one was, if shopping in the store!]
For other Bath And Body Works products, please visit my reviews of:
Orange Freeze 3-in-1
Sassy Strawberry Mint 3-in-1
Plumeria Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel
8/10
For other health and beauty product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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